nether world

Noun

netherworld (plural netherworlds)

1. The place to which one's spirit descends upon death, conceived as below the surface of the earth.
   • In some religions, one's soul departs to a netherworld, instead of the heavens.
2. The locale of the spirit world or afterlife, whether deemed to be situated below the world of the living or not.
   • While I was astrally projecting, I felt my soul pass through many insubstantial netherworlds.

   Synonyms:

   astral plane, heaven

3. Specifically, a location of punishment in the afterlife; a hell.
   • The missionary was motivated by a sincere desire to rescue souls from eternal torment in the netherworld.

   Synonyms:

   damnation, Hades, hell, underworld

4. (broadly) A hidden, shadowy, or sinister subculture, such as that of organized crime.
   • Richard had been initiated into the netherworld of dog racing by his father, and knew all the popular greyhound performance-enhancing drugs.

   Synonyms:

   underworld